Plumbeous Kite
Plumbeous KitePlumbeous KitePlumbeous KitePlumbeous Kite

Plumbeous Kite

Ictinia plumbea

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Iguazú National Park
1,126 Verified sightings at Iguazú National Park From 2019 to 2026
10,799 Verified sightings across all 63 parks From 2019 to 2026
October Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Plumbeous Kite

The plumbeous kite (Ictinia plumbea) is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae that is resident in much of northern South America. It is migratory in the northern part of its range which extends north to Mexico. It feeds on insects which it catches either from a perch or while in flight.

The plumbeous kite was formally described in 1788 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the eagles, hawks and relatives in the genus Falco and coined the binomial name Falco plumbeus. Gmelin based his description on the "spotted-tailed hawk" that had been described in 1781 by the English ornithologist John Latham from a specimen from Cayenne in a private collection in London. It is now placed with the Mississippi kite in the genus Ictinia that was introduced in 1816 by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot. The genus name is from the Ancient Greek iktinos for a kite. The specific epithet plumbea is from Latin plumbeus meaning "leaded", "plumbeous" or "lead-coloured". The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.

The plumbeous kite is 34–37.5 cm... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Iguazú National Park

Mississippi Kite
LC

Mississippi Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ictinia mississippiensis

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Roadside Hawk
LC

Roadside Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rupornis magnirostris

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Snail Kite
LC

Snail Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rostrhamus sociabilis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Short-tailed Hawk
LC

Short-tailed Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo brachyurus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle
LC

Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spizaetus melanoleucus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
American Swallow-tailed Kite
LC

American Swallow-tailed Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Elanoides forficatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Tiny Hawk
LC

Tiny Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Accipiter superciliosus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Black-collared Hawk
LC

Black-collared Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Busarellus nigricollis

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Rufous-thighed Kite
LC

Rufous-thighed Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Harpagus diodon

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Gray-headed Kite
LC

Gray-headed Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Leptodon cayanensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Great Black-Hawk
LC

Great Black-Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteogallus urubitinga

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Sharp-shinned Hawk
LC

Sharp-shinned Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Accipiter striatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 San Lorenzo Protected Forest 🇵🇦 Panama
~30%
2 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~20%
3 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
~20%
4 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~20%
5 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
6 Emas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
7 Brownsberg Nature Park 🇸🇷 Suriname
~20%
8 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~20%
9 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
10 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
11 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~20%
12 Chapada dos Guimarães National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
13 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~20%
14 Canaima National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
~20%
15 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~20%
16 Madidi National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
~20%
17 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
18 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
19 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
20 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
21 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
22 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
23 Cordillera Azul National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
24 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
~10%
25 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
26 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
27 Podocarpus National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
28 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
<5%
29 Serra da Canastra National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
30 Main Ridge Forest Reserve 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
<5%
31 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
32 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
33 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
34 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
35 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
36 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
37 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
38 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
39 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
40 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
41 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
42 Chingaza National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
43 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
44 Itatiaia National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
45 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
46 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
47 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
48 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
49 Noel Kempff Mercado National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
Insufficient data
50 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
51 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
52 Utría National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
53 El Impenetrable National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
Insufficient data
54 Cusuco National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
55 Caroni Swamp 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
Insufficient data
56 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
57 Iberá National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
Insufficient data
58 Puracé National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
59 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
60 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
61 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
62 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
63 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Plumbeous Kite in Iguazú National Park?

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Plumbeous Kite sighting in Iguazú National Park, based on 1,126 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Plumbeous Kite in Iguazú National Park?

October has the highest sighting rate for Plumbeous Kite in Iguazú National Park in our monthly data.

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